3 October 2023, Almaty – The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) is initiating two major projects in the field of sustainable water use, which will be implemented jointly with the relevant government agencies of the Central Asian countries. Financial support for these socially significant and very relevant projects is provided by the international charitable foundation “The Coca-Cola Foundation” and the NGO “Global Water Challenge”. The total amount of investments exceeds USD 600,000. The projects are expected to benefit more than 22,000 people in the Central Asian countries directly and more than 230,000 indirectly.
Water resources in Central Asia are of vital importance, which was also noted by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. He emphasized that water scarcity in Central Asia creates serious economic and other challenges in transboundary river basins. Accordingly, it is extremely important to effectively manage water resources in Central Asian countries in the current realities of climate change. The projects “Integrated Watershed Management in the Ishim River Basin in Kazakhstan” and “Increasing Economic Independence and Improving the Status of Women in Rural Central Asia through Access to Irrigation Water and Infrastructure” are aimed at solving these problems.
In particular, the project “Integrated Watershed Management in the Ishim River Basin in Kazakhstan” will improve the conditions of agricultural and pasture land in the watersheds of the Ishim River basin in Akmola and North Kazakhstan regions. More than 12,000 people living in these areas will directly benefit from the implementation of an integrated approach to water resources management in agriculture, and more than 53,000 people will feel the positive indirect effects of the project results. At the same time, a transboundary diagnostic analysis and a strategic action plan for the conservation and sustainable use of water resources in the Ishim River basin will be developed.
Central Asian regional project “Increasing economic independence and improving the status of women in rural areas of Central Asia through access to irrigation water and infrastructure” covers Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Climate change, together with inefficient and outdated irrigation methods, is reducing irrigation water, which has a negative impact on agricultural productivity and the socio-economic well-being of rural people, especially women. Today, it is women who are responsible for most of the agricultural activities in the Central Asian region, as most men, especially from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, migrate as wage laborers to other countries.
Lack of hydraulic infrastructure (pumps, watersheds, irrigation wells, drainage canals and traditional irrigation methods) makes it difficult for women farmers and women-led farmers to increase yields and incomes.
The project, firstly, will help to solve the problem of water scarcity through introduction of new irrigation methods and technologies without compromising crop yields. Secondly, farms and agricultural enterprises run mainly by women in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will be able to reduce their dependence on irrigation water scarcity, increase productivity, and generally improve the sustainability of agriculture in the region.
As a result of this project, the economic situation of more than 10,000 people will be improved, and more than 180,000 people will feel the indirect positive effect of the project results.
Contact person – Adburashit Isabayev, project coordinator, wisadvisor@carececo.org
The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) is an independent, non-political, non-profit international organization that was established in 2021 by the governments of five Central Asian countries, namely the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the European Union and UNDP in accordance with the decision of the 4th Pan-European Conference held in 1998 in Aarhus, Denmark. CAREC has unique mandate received from the five Central Asian countries, and its mission is to assist the Central Asian countries in solving their national and regional problems.
More about CAREC https://carececo.org/main/
More about climate in Central Asia https://centralasiaclimateportal.org/
The Coca-Cola Foundation’s mission is to make a difference in communities around the world where The Coca-Cola Company operates and where our employees live and work. We support transformative ideas and institutions that address complex global challenges and that leave a measurable and lasting impact. Our giving is focused on sustainable access to safe water, climate resilience and disaster risk preparedness and response, circular economy, economic empowerment, and causes impacting our hometown community. Since its inception in 1984, The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded grants of over $1.5 billion in service of its mandate to strengthen communities across the world.
More about The Coca-Cola Foundation https://www.coca-colacompany.com/social/coca-cola-foundation
